Help My Bunny!

lauracatlover

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Ok, so I've had my rabbit for at least 4 years, but I can't honestly remember how old she was when we bought her. All I do know is that she was taken away from her mom too early, because she wouldn't eat so we took her to the vets multiple times. Also, at the pet store they said she was a dwarf lop, but she most definately isn't! She has pointy ears!


Anyway, I need some help or advice. A couple of months ago I was cleaning her out and noticed a lot of blood in her hutch. There was no blood actually on her, and we straight away took her to the vets. They examined her and did tests, but could find nothing wrong with her.
This has happened again today. There is a lot of blood in the hutch, but nothing on her. We don't know if is something to do with her wee, or maybe it might be her 'time of the month'. Do rabbits actually get this? We're not going to take her to the vets this time because it is exactly the same as before, and it would be pointless get her all stressed out just for them to say they can't find anything again.

I would be very grateful for any advice or help given!

Thanks

Laura
 

arlyn

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You mean she hasn't been spayed?
I would get her in and get her checked out for female problems.
Unspayed bunnies that do not breed run the same risks as cats.
Frankly, I'm surprised she never got nasty tempered with you as most unfixed bunnies tend to get hormonal and rather nasty about it.
 
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lauracatlover

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What is the same risks as cats? Mitzi is spayed so I don't know what you mean!

Funnily enough she seems just as friendly as ever, but if she goes off her number 1 hobby, eating, then we will take her in. I'll see how she goes for now, it appears to have stopped, but if it continues or gets worse then we'll take her to the vets.
 

arlyn

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The risks are uterine cancer, or pyometra.
Pyometra can be serious as it can go systemic rather quickly.
 
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lauracatlover

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: ok then thanks a lot for your help I'm gonna talk to my mom about it and we'll sort something out


Do you think that she is now too old to be spayed?

Thanks for your help!
 

arlyn

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No problem, I hope it's nothing serious.
If she is healthy, she shouldn't be too old, unless she was already quite old at the petstore. The only old bunny I couldn't get spayed was already around 15 when I got her.
If it is just estrus, she will more than likely pull some of the hair from her dewlap (the fat roll around their neck), as this is what does line their nests with.

I'm way out of practice with rabbits, but I used to raise show rabbits as a kid and even back then, our bunnies were fixed if they weren't going to be used for breeding.
My one doe that was too old to have fixed was a nasty old witch when she was hormonal, she'd attack you any chance she could get and she was huge and scary.


We just lured her into her nest box and locked her in so that we could clean her cage and wash her dishes.
 
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lauracatlover

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Ok thanks. As I said before she was practiaclly a newborn at the petstore as she was taken from her mommy too early, because she wasn't eating. Now she is the size of a house and eating like a piggy!!

I just looked it up on the internet and it says that it could be cancer and it says if your rabbit has bloody urine etc get them straight to the vet, as the operation completely solves the problem, and also to have a radiograph on their chest incase it has spread to the lungs, so as soon as my mom gets home I will talk to her and we'll decide what to do.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Laura and Buttons xoxoxoxo

p.s: hope you like the rose!
 

undergunfire

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I know this is a late posting, but did the bunny get to the vet?

This happens a lot with people who don't spay their females at a young age. A sign of bleeding is a sign on uterine cancer. A female rabbit must be spayed, it will save her life. Some get lucky, but most will die young of cancer....very painful.

I hope the bunno got to the vet for spay!
 

goldenkitty45

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If she has not been spayed, your rabbit is just having her monthly period. I raised rabbits and they have a cycle like we do. There is blood in the pee for a few days when in heat.

I'm surprised that the vet didn't know this?????

I never spayed my rabbits - they had one litter or two litters a year. My dutch female lived to be about 9 yrs old and was never spayed. She was not nasty either when in heat.
 

epona

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I kept rabbits before it was possible to get them spayed here - I only ever had one at a time (I never had trouble keeping them with guinea pigs for companionship) so no risk of pregnancy but the only time I ever saw a lot of blood was when one had cancer, the rest of the time I did not notice much blood except slightly pink urine as a result of their normal cycles. I hope she is OK. They can be spayed now and it's best to get them done if possible, if she's not too old for the surgery - the one I had who got cancer was also very hormonal and aggressive, if we could have had her spayed she would have been much happier and healthier, and a much better pet.

GK - I had one unspayed female who was an absolute dream of a rabbit, sweet natured and lovely. I also had one who growled and went for our ankles - both raised the same. I can only put the difference in their personalities down to their natural hormone levels, the one who was aggressive and obviously suffered from hormonal mood swings was the one who got uterine cancer and died prematurely as a result. As I was never breeding it would have been great to be able to get them spayed/neutered, unfortunately it was never an option at the time I had them
Rabbits are lovely tho
 

mews2much

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I used to have Rabbits and they were never fixed and we never had any problems with them. I do not think many were fixed at that time. Mine were always nice no matter what. This was over 20 years ago.
 

undergunfire

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Its highly recommended to get pet rabbits spayed/neutered...for the same reasons you spay/neuter your dogs & cats. Leaving a rabbit unspeutered is just not fair for their health. Its also a myth that by letting a female have a litter or two, she will be less prone to develop cancer.

Female rabbits who are not spayed by the age of 3 will most likely die of uterine cancer. There is an 80% chance of this. Dying of uterine cancer is slow and painful. No one should want that for their female rabbit...that is why something as simple as a spay could save her life.

Also, rabbits do not have "periods". They breed at any time, they do not have to be in a heat. Rabbits don't go through cycles, like dogs. They do go through a "phantom pregnancy", which can be mistaken for a heat. Phantom pregnancies are where a female will pull hair from her dewlap/back end area, inner legs and make a false nest. Some females will do this on their own, some will only do this when there is intact males around.

GoldenKitty....What you were probably seeing was rusty colored urine. Blood in their pee is NOT normal and they should be rushed to the vet if you suspect blood in their urine.

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It is also not advised to house piggies and rabbits together anymore. Rabbits have powerful back legs and a bite...that can injure and kill a piggie. It's been seen way too much. Piggies also need more vitamin C in their diets, rabbits do not. Rabbits and Piggies are completely different creatures, they do not communicate to each other....nor do their share the same diet....at all. This would be like having a pet rat and a hamster live together....it just doesn't fit.

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Much more information is out now about pet rabbits. If anyone decides to adopt one, please do research. Too much correct information now-a-days is over-looked.

If anyone thinks my information is incorrect, please to the research yourself before second-guessing me in your post. Rabbits are a huge part of my life that I care deeply about. The correct information needs to be released to people.
 

undergunfire

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

My dutch female lived to be about 9 yrs old and was never spayed. She was not nasty either when in heat.
BUT.....providing they are healthy, did you know that rabbits can live to be 12+ years old if they are spayed/neutered?
 

goldenkitty45

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At the time I had my rabbits NO one ever spayed/neutered them - it was too risky or no one thought to do this - this was when I was a teen - long time ago.

She would have her "heat" cycle once a month. And she would NOT breed just any time - only when she was in heat. I took her to the male rabbit to be bred. And I could calculate it cause she was regular.

I'll have to do a little research on rabbits and breeding/heat
Ok I looked it up - you are right - they don't have heat cycles. But it seemed to me that she did. What would explain the "rusty" pee then about once a month?
 

undergunfire

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

What would explain the "rusty" pee then about once a month?
It is okay, you just didn't know. Spaying and neutering is very common in pet rabbits now, since people have learn the risks of not spaying and neutering. People have even caught on to spaying and neutering their pet rats (who only live 2-3 year, regardless)...because it cuts down on the risk of cancer & tumors.

This site explains exactly why bunnies can get rust colored urine. It's easier to just post the quotes instead of me trying to explain it...

"Normal rabbit urine can vary in color from almost clear yellow to very dark orange or rust color. The color is produced by a pigment called porphyrin, which may be caused by eating plant pigments, especially those foods high in carotenes, like carrots. It may also be produced in times of stress or illness, but should not be considered abnormal. The exact reason this pigment is produced is not known. The urine can also range from clear to cloudy or milky, because rabbits normally excrete large amounts of calcium in their urine."
- http://www.petplace.com/small-mammal...its/page1.aspx
 

mews2much

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I havent had one in over 25 years. I am thinking of getting something other then a Cat when we get our House soon. I am trying to decide what to get.
 

j_f_a

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A lot of carrots will make the urine turn a rusty colour. ^_^ Urine in all animals is coloured according to diet. Which is why some days your own urine will be light, sometimes dark.
 

goldenkitty45

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OHHHH thanks for the clarifications
I was just a teen - haven't had rabbits since, so I learned something new about them
 
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lauracatlover

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Sorry I haven't been on for a few days, and I didn't know anybody had replied to this!

We took her to the vet (and had a different vet look at her this time, who usually looks at Mitzi) and she had a really good feel of Bun and basically said that if it was the cancer thingy then it she wouldn't be eating, drinking etc (and she most definately IS) and by feeling her gut and looking at her she said she hasn't got it and she has a water infection. So we had some anti-biotics for her and we have been giving them to her every day since, and there has been no more blood.


Here are some piccies for you, and she looks obese, but it is only her chin that makes her look like that, we can feel her spine, so she is not too overweight/underweight








 
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